Advice for my junior year?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>I'm going to be a junior next year, and I've heard that this is the most important year of high school. I really need to make the best out of next year because i want to have a successful future and get into a good college. (I was thinking anywhere in the top 20s? JHU, possibly?) I'd like to go into science/medicine.</p>

<p>My freshman grades were all A's and A-'s.
My grades in the first trimester of sophmore year weren't very good, but I've brought them up significantly, by 0.3 each trimester after that. (I heard colleges like to see improvement, though. Is this true?)</p>

<p>I'm currently taking all honors and 1 AP. (My school only offers 1)
Next year, I'll be taking 3 APs. (Also, school only offers 3)
I was also thinking of doing an independent study for AP Chinese, because i speak it fluently, I would just need to learn the culture and how to write. It might be overwhelming though, and I don't want to take it if it only hurts me.</p>

<p>My PSAT scores (2009) were pretty much terrible and don't reflect me at all, but I started taking SAT classes this year. </p>

<p>I volunteer a lot, won a few regional and all-state music things, and am going to do a small research project this summer in a lab, but do you know of any programs I should enter?</p>

<p>So basically, I screwed around my first half of sophomore year. Don't know why, but it didn't hit me until now.
I'm determined to work hard next year and keep up a great GPA, but I know that's not enough to get into a great college.</p>

<p>I'd love some advice on extra curriculars, what to do this summer, how to handle the workload, whether or not i should take AP Chinese, SAT + SAT II's, how to make the best out of my junior year, and absolutely ANYTHING would be helpful! :)</p>

2

<p>I think it may differ from school to school, but check to make sure that colleges see all trimester grades on your official transcript. While they do like to see improvement, the aforementioned increase in grades is usually over all four years of high school, not within individual years. I know that my school’s transcript is set up in a way that only allows colleges to see final grades of the year.</p>

<p>It looks good that you’ve been taking what seems to be the hardest course load your hs offers. What types of volunteer work do you do and what do you mean by “a lot” of it?</p>

<p>As for the AP Chinese exam, what about it do you think would possibly overwhelm you? If there are any SAT II’s that are related to the AP you’re taking now, try to schedule the test for that ASAP.</p>

<p>I’m just going to assume that you’re of Asian decent because you say that you’re fluent in Chinese. Looking at what you’ve written here, you look like another Asian with good grades, a hard schedule, music, and volunteering (it’s okay, this describes me too). Try to take your interests in science and medicine and do something unusual with them, going outside just the summer research.</p>

<p>Handle the workload by organizing and managing time well, but don’t overdo it. This only causes stress and can, in turn, negatively effect your performance in school.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

3

<p>well I’ve been volunteering at a hospital every week for 2 years (Yeah i know, no big deal because everybody does, haha)
and every week at a rock climbing gym for disabled kids.
i’m in a choir, and we perform at nursing homes and stuff like that, which counts as volunteer hours.
I’m probably becoming an EMT next summer (junior going on senior year)
also, my family friend is going to find small jobs or activities i can join in to boost my volunteering/work experience. nothing too stressful, though :)</p>

4

<p>Okay, looks like you have the volunteering covered. </p>

<p>Your ECs are pretty impressive, but make sure that when you’re trying to “boost your volunteering/work experience” you do things that interest you and things that you are willing to do long-term. Colleges prefer a few involved activities for extended periods of time over shorter blips of interest.</p>

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<p>Junior year for me was the hardest, My school schedule contained the most AP classes and honors classes I had ever had.Just keep your grades up, and keep focused on what you need to do to succeed in life, ignore the immature ignorant haters.</p>

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<p>any advice on programs or classes i should take this summer?</p>

7

<p>I’m a parent who watched my now freshman in college daughter sign up for the toughest course curriculum in her junior year. Prior to that she was a B+ student. While she maintained her level with the harder courses, others who took easier coursework received higher grades and ultimately were accepted into better colleges. Therefore, my advice is, don’t overload yourself thinking that a tough curriculum is going to impress. The only thing that will impress (given a reasonable course load) is A’s. Oh, and make sure you get a 2000+ on your SAT or you’re not going to get in anywhere good.</p>